What I Think Should Have Happened: OFTM Gearing Up
by melanie.campbell.3348
Summary: This is another One-Shot written from the book, One For The Money, by Janet Evanovich. This story picks up, where my first left off. Thank you rainbow severus for being my Beta, and everyone for their support. I hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review!


"**What I Think Should Have Happened OFTM: Gearing Up"**

_After the supporting reviews, and suggestions from readers of my first story, I decided to take their advise. I plan on writing a couple more One-Shots focusing on One for the Money before moving on to book two. I don't think I am ready to write a chapter story yet. I hope to work up to that. So, here is my second story. The characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I own nothing. Enjoy!_

_Special thanks to rainbow severus for being my Beta!_

The car fit him perfectly. Sexy with style. I thought, as I slid into the passenger seat of the shiny black Mercedes. Glancing out the window to my own crappy car, I thought how it summed up my life recently. Crappy. Falling apart, and not sure if it was going to make it around the next corner.

The engine turning over brought me out of my thoughts, and reminded me how things were starting to turn around. I mean, being in close quarters with Ranger. Hmm, and the man smelled so good! Ranger had agreed that I needed him. I mean, his help. We were now on our way to get me "geared up", as he put it. I am not looking forward to buying a gun. I can't picture myself holding one, much less ever using it.

"So, this plan of yours... You checked out his place? Find anything?",Ranger said, bringing me from my thoughts.

"Huh? What? Oh, yeah. No."

"Well, which is it, Babe?",he said with a smirk.

"I went to his apartment, but he wasn't there."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Did you find anything inside that might help you find him?"

"What? No one was there." Geez.

"You didn't go in.", he chuckled. Chuckled!

"Of course not! I am pretty sure that is against the law.",I huffed.

"Babe."

We pulled in the parking lot of Morelli's apartment building a few minutes later.

"Wait! I thought we were going to get me all geared up, or something?"

"We are." I swear he was smirking. "This was on the way, and I doubt he will be here. We can do a more in depth search than you did the last time."

"Fine." I went to jump out, and felt Ranger's hand grab mine. There! There it was again. That tingle!

"You in a hurry?"

No, not now. Even his voice was sexy as hell. "I thought we were going to check out his place.?"

"Look around first. Be aware of your surroundings. Do you see his car, neighbors outside you could question, anything?"

I sighed, and looked around the lot. A few cars. Most of the residents were probably at work. Just what you would expect this time of day. No one out walking around. I looked through the file, and found the DMV info on his car. It was a red Jeep Wrangler. I relayed the information to Ranger, including the license plate number, and scanned the lot. Yep! There it was parked in the back. I turned to tell Ranger, and found him staring at me.

Wow, he has beautiful eyes."Um, I found it. It is parked over there.",I pointed out.

"Good work, Babe.",he said while slowly easing out of the car.

Smiling at the praise, I followed him. Instead of going to the stairs that lead to Joe's apartment, Ranger walked to the jeep. He ran his hand over the hood. I thought he was just admiring the Jeep, when he said,"It's cold. It hasn't been driven recently." Then, he took my hand, and placed it along with his on the hood. Oh my! I just nodded. He then made his way to the stairs. "Breathe, Steph,",I told myself.

"It's this one.",I whispered showing Ranger which apartment it was when I caught up to him.

Ranger stood to the left of the door, with his hand resting on his gun. He gave a quick knock, waited a minute, and then knocked again. I heard him fiddling with the lock for a moment, then poof, the door was open.

"Wait a minute! How did you do that?",I said trying to use a hushed voice, but failing. "We just can't go in there! Can we?"

"Babe."

OK, I guess this was happening, I thought as I followed him in, and shut the door behind me. I feel like I should be tip-toeing, or sneaking, or something.

"You don't have to tip-toe. Just don't make too much noise.",he said with a smile on his face.

Oh, crap. I must have said that out loud. Oh well. I looked around the room. It was a small apartment, but nice. Well, nicer than mine. The living room, dining, and kitchen were all one room. It wasn't decorated. It just had the basics. A comfy looking couch, sat in front of a big TV. No dining table in the dining room. Just a small side table with some bills on it, and a bowl with a couple of keys. All pretty much what I would expect from a single guys place. I made my way to the kitchen, and looked through the fridge. Not much in there, but it still had more in it than mine. Which reminds me, mental note: go mooch dinner from parents tonight.

Ranger found me a few minutes later. "What are you doing?"

"What?", I said with a spoonful of peanut butter in my mouth. "I was searching, and I got hungry. He's not using it right now."

"Come here.",he said motioning his finger. "Try and concentrate on something besides food. Look for an address book. Listen to his messages. Remember, we are looking for clues to where he might be hiding. Not a snack."

"Fine.", I huffed. Clues. Look for clues. "Well, he can afford HBO.", I said after examining one of the bills he had on the table. "It looks like he has been paying his bills on time." Must be nice. "No sign of an address book, but I know his whole family. They all live in the Burg." I then listened to his answer machine. Three messages. The first was just silence. The second sounded like his mom. She was demanding he call her immediately. The last was from some bimbo saying she had fun the other night. Well, she sounded like a bimbo to me. The dates on the messages were all over two weeks ago. No help there.

"The place looks clean. I didn't expect to find anything, but now you have an idea on how to check someone's place.",Ranger said. Taking a key out of the bowl on the table he continued,"This must be his extra apartment key. Keep it. You might want to come back, and look around again in a few days." He then took what must be the Jeep's key. "Now, let's see if we get lucky in the Jeep."

I think I stopped breathing.

We did not get lucky in the Jeep.

I mean, we didn't find anything useful. He locked it back up, and handed me the key. We then headed over to the gun shop. We were quiet on the ride over. I was thinking about the "gear", and starting to get nervous again. No telling what Mr. Cool over there was thinking about. We pulled up a few minutes later. The building looked like what I would expect, except for the sign. "Sunny's." That's it. That's all. Just, "Sunny's." Can't be that bad, I thought. It sounds like a friendly place.

Ranger escorted me through the aisles, and around several not so friendly looking people, to the counter. He nodded at the owner. A forty something woman, who just nodded back.

"What can I get for you, Sweetie?",she said to me.

This must be must be Sunny. I smiled, and was about to answer, when I realized I didn't really know what to get. "I need to get some bounty hunter gear, please."

Ranger and Sunny exchanged a look, before she started gathering things. When she was done, I was the new owner of a pair of cuffs, a small bottle of defense spray, a box of bullets, and a gun.

"It's a .38 Special. It is easy to carry and use.", he told me as he paid for my items.

"Wait. You don't have to do that.",I said motioning towards the register.

"Yes, I do. They won't let you leave with it without paying.",he joked. "Besides, this is an investment in you, the bad ass bounty hunter in training."

Smart ass."Well, thank you. After I bring in Morelli I can repay you."

"Of course.",was his only reply. I followed him through a set of doors in the back.

"What are we doing here?",I stammered realizing we were at a gun range. He can't be serious. I was not actually going to shot that thing.

"Yes, you are.",he said. Damn ESP! He then placed what looked like ear phones on my head.

"The only way to get more comfortable with your gun, is to practice." He placed some clear glasses on me, then put on the same. "Just watch.",and he began shooting at a paper man at the end of his lane.

The noise! I had no idea it would be so loud, and I was wearing my ear muff thingy!

Before I knew it, he had stopped, and his paper man was flying toward us. There were five holes in the poor little man's head. "Now, you try.",he said while setting up a new paper man for me to kill.

"OK. No problem. I got this.",pep talking myself. I tried holding the gun a couple of different ways, hoping one would seem more comfortable.

"Here, like this.",Ranger said softly near my ear, and I felt his arms come around me. His hands on mine, as we held the gun together. His body tight up against my back. "Spread your legs a little. Good. Now, take a few relaxing breaths."

Yea, right. Like I could relax with him touching me like this.

We stood like that for what I was now calling "the best five minutes of my life", when he told me to breathe out again, and pull the trigger. I did, and watched myself shoot the paper man right in the chest. "I did it!", I exclaimed.

"Of course you did, Babe. Now do it some more.",he said smiling at me.

"You're a natural, Babe.",he told me after a half hour of shooting. My arms were killing me. Maybe, I could talk him into giving me a massage. Hmm... Feeling brave, I told him just that.

His face lit up with a 200 watt smile as he replied, "Anytime Babe. Anytime."

_Thanks for reading! Please leave a review, and let me know what you think!_


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